AdaCore launches free online Ada courses

AdaCore University is a free, web-based resource center for anyone interested in learning about, or how to program in, the Ada programming language. The new website offers pre-recorded courses and other learning materials on Ada, with access to AdaCore’s GNAT Ada toolset for writing and running example programs. It also utilizes the latest in website design and learning tool features. Students at all levels of experience and expertise can begin writing programs quickly and can proceed at their own pace.

AdaCore University courses educate through examples, allowing students to see, understand and experiment with most features of the Ada programming language. Drawing on the experience and teaching credentials of Ada experts, such as AdaCore founders and New York University Emeritus Professors Robert Dewar and Edmond Schonberg, the courses explain Ada’s technical concepts with insight into the rationale and usage of particular features.

The initial curriculum includes two courses: Ada 001, Overview – a module that presents an overall picture of the language and that allows students to write small programs; and Ada 002, Basic Concepts – the first in a formal series of Ada classes, introducing basic Ada programming concepts and allowing students to write programs based on these features.

Both of these modules provide sources and installation instructions for all learning materials and tools. The courses cover the latest version of the Ada language (Ada 2012), and students have access to AdaCore’s GNAT Ada development environment and programming tools. The AdaCore University website also hosts a number of technical papers on Ada, offering insight into particular aspects of the language’s design and usage.

AdaCore University is an ongoing, live project that will be expanded to include more advanced courses on Ada, and SPARK 2014 – an Ada-based programming language designed for high-integrity software (i.e., where reliability is essential and where safety and/or security certification may be required).